A few days ago Fr Andrew received a lovely email from an ‘old boy’ of St.Stephen’s. He thought you might like to read it, so with Nigel’s permission... Dear Canon Sage Some weeks a go, coinciding with Storm Ciara, I visited St Stephen's for the 10.30 Solemn Mass. It fulfilled a long-standing ambition to attend a service at the church where I was Assistant Organist to John Askew in 1967. I grew up in Blackpool; my father was vicar of neighbouring St Paul's North Shore, and, having received no encouragement from his organist, I was fortunate in becoming JA's assistant (as well as having him for AL Music at school). My salary was £25 a year with a free organ lesson (in those days £1 a half ho
Well things have changed and are changing so rapidly aren’t they*. Only a few hours after I posted my last letter to you the ‘Lockdown’ was announced and our churches closed completely, except for the Priest to enter alone and to pray and offer Mass alone, on behalf of the whole community. This I have done regularly each day. Holy Week and Easter will certainly be very different than anything I have ever experienced. To be absent from the worshipping community in the ‘Week of Weeks’ is heart-breaking. There are some plans I have to help to some small degree. I have racked my brain to think How I might get Palm Crosses to you for Palm Sunday – but I cant. But here are my suggestions for